After a very weird homestand that included lots of rain, the Mets hit the road for three games in Detroit against the Tigers. Here’s what the probable pitchers look like for this three-game set before New York heads back home to Citi Field for the weekend.
Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET: Joey Lucchesi vs. Michael Lorenzen
Joey Lucchesi’s second start back in the big leagues wasn’t as impressive as his first, but it could’ve been a lot worse. In New York’s win last Thursday over Washington, the southpaw allowed three runs in 5.1 innings of work. He’s never faced the Tigers before, and generally speaking, Lucchesi has struggled on the road. In 158.1 innings as a visiting player, he’s 6-15 with a 5.34 ERA.
Michael Lorenzen has allowed 11 runs in 14 innings this year. Only two of his three starts have been bad, though. He allowed six runs in his first start, none in his second, and the other five in his most recent appearance. Lorenzen has faced the Mets 12 times, but just two of those are starts. One of them happened last year, where he earned a win after allowing one run on six hits, one walk, and four strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET: Max Scherzer vs. Joey Wentz
The pair of rainouts at Citi Field over the weekend pushed Max Scherzer’s return from his suspension back a couple of days. Instead of trying to help the Mets against the Braves, he gets a reunion against the Tigers, a team he won one of his three Cy Youngs with. He’s 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA against Detroit in three career starts, but the righty hasn’t faced them since 2019.
Joey Wentz has a 6.45 ERA through five starts, but it’s improved a lot during his last three turns through the rotation. After two starts, his season-long ERA was up to 10.29 ERA. So, there’s that, right? He’s never faced the Mets, but in eight career starts at Comerica, Wentz is 0-3 with a 5.13 ERA.
Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET: Justin Verlander vs. Eduardo Rodriguez
At long last, Justin Verlander will make his Mets debut on Thursday in the Motor City. It’ll be a meaningful game for JV on multiple levels, as well. He spent the first 13 years of his eventual Hall of Fame career with the Tigers. Verlander owns a 3.10 ERA in four starts vs. Detroit but hasn’t faced them in a game since 2019.
Eduardo Rodriguez is off to an excellent start. Through his first six starts, he’s the owner of a 2.21 ERA and 0.87 WHIP through 36.2 innings. Most of this production has happened over his last four starts — E-Rod has allowed just two runs over his most recent 26.2 frames. Rodriguez has one career start against the Mets. He allowed two runs on five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
